May 18, 2015

I just returned from a short holiday to Porto, where I was told that this tram was 'Made in Belgium'. I have my doubts and was not been able to check the validity of the statement. Maybe one of you knows?As far as recommendations go, however, I do not hesitate for a second: Jimao Tapas e Vinhos is a jewel of a restaurant! If you are planning a visit to Porto, I warmly recommend you reserve a table. It is unique and exquisite!

http://www.jimaopt

Jimão Tapas e Vinhos

May 13, 2015

If you are attracted to the myriad smells, colours and sounds of city life, if you enjoy hearing all sorts of languages and accents, if you need fresh vegetables or any other kind of typical or exotic food or drink, the place to be in Brussels on Wednesdays is the weekly market at Place du Châtelain. I particularly enjoy observing what is going on at the wine stalls, the bars, the terraces and the stand of the Amnesty Intenational representatives and tasting the delicious plantain offered to me by the lady from Burkina Faso.

May 11, 2015

text and pictures by Peter at WoW Travel.I am grateful to Peter from WOW travel for sharing his enthusiasm and article about Brussels with TiB. Thank you, Peter!

"When people think of Brussels, they think mainly three things: the headquarters of the European Union, waffles and chocolates. However, Brussels has lots to offer and many hidden secrets to be discovered. Did you know that they are home to the oldest shopping centers in Europe? Did you know that they have changed of main language several times? Originally, Brussels was entirely Dutch-speaking but they changed to French in the 18th century. Who does not love french fries? Well, Belgians claim to have invented them and in fact there is a french fries kiosk in almost every corner. What about Beer? Belgians consume in average 150 liters of beer per person per year!

This city went from being a 10th-century fortress town to a city with 1.2 million inhabitants and capital of Europe. WOW Travel visited this European metropolis and put together its The Top 12 Things To Do In Brussels to help you save time and enjoy more. Brussels is amazing, but do not take our word for it, go visit it now.

Manneken Pis– This popular statue can be easily found at the junction of Rue de l’Étuve/Stoofstraat and Rue du Chêne/Eikstraat. If you see a group of tourist taking lots of selfies somewhere near that intersection then follow the crowd. The French speaking Belgians call it ” le petit julien” but it is nothing more than a naked tiny boy urinating into a fountain’s basin. It is a 61 cm tall bronze statue made in 1619 by Brussels sculptor Hieronimus Duquesnoy the Elder. The statue is dressed in costume several times each week and many of them can be viewed in a permanent exhibition inside the City Museum......"

Praline chocolates were invented by Jean Neuhaus in Brussels in 1912. Today, Belgium is the world’s number one exporter of chocolate, with 220,000 tonnes of chocolate produced per year

Brussels is home to the largest Freemason temple in Europe – The Great Temple at 79, Rue de Laeken.

Visit the flea market at Place du jeu de Balle – It is bizarre but fun for a good stroll.

For cheap and tasty local food visit Clemenceau – One of the noisiest and most hectic food markets in the city Another cool market.

Spend one night at Ixelles neighborhood – It is a stylish area with students and lot of bars.

Enjoy a great view of the city from the top of the Musical Instruments Museum (MIM) is one of the most beautiful art nouveau buildings in Brussels.

Favorite Museums:

The Jewish Museum of Belgium has 750 objects of judaica, 1,250 works of art and an archive of 20,000 photographs, 5,000 posters and other artifacts. It also has six thematic libraries containing a total of 25,000 works and editions, including works inYiddish and Hebrew, works of Jewish artists, and genealogies. Judaism has a long history in Belgium, from the 1st century CE until today.

Favorite Bars:

Moeder Lambic Fontainas – offers 40 beers on tap and a rotating list of ‘guest’ beer from around Belgium and the world.

Oeno TK – A true Brussels institution, with a varied selection of wines and sparkling wines.

Bier Circus – One of the most beautiful and noble place for Belgian beers lovers. The cellar is full of raw, more or less rare, but more or less old, from large and small breweries.

Favorite Restaurants:

Le Pigeon Noir – Warm and welcoming village bistro located in the upscale residential neighborhood of Uccle

Chez Leon – Clean, efficient, well-prepared and reasonably priced Belgian specialities, including a number of moules et frites preparations. If you have never had moules frites before, this is the place.

La Quincaillerie – Serves one of the best fish in the city, located in a former old ironmonger’s shop.

May 10, 2015

I hope that all the mothers will be or have been spoiled with breakfast in bed this morning. My sons took a different approach and brought this plant to me, when I was barely awake. Super guys they are!

May 08, 2015

May 05, 2015

On the way to the Royal Greenhouses, you get a glimpse of the Japanese Tower, a pagoda, inspired by a construction at the Paris Exposition of 1900. King Leopold II saw it and asked its architect Alexandre Marcel to build him a similar one in Laeken.

May 03, 2015

According to a century old tradition, the Royal Greenhouses in Laeken are open to the public in spring and this Sunday afternoonTiB's personal reporter talked a Japanese tourist into taking his picture for the blog."During the 19th century, progress in construction techniques, especially the use of metal and glass as construction materials, made a new type of building possible: the greenhouse. In 1873, architect Alphonse Balat designed forKing Leopold IIa complex of greenhouses which complement the castle of Laeken, built in the classical style. The complex has the appearance of a glass city set in an undulating landscape.The monumental pavilions, glass cupolas, wide arcades that cross the site like covered streets, are much more than an anecdote on the architectural applications of iron and glass or on little greenhouses of exotic plants. What the Royal Greenhouses express concerns architecture and, specifically, a major construction programme: the "Ideal Glass Palace".....they are a reminder that they inspired the new Belgian architecture of the day, and their influence spread, with Art Nouveau, throughout the world;The present-day plant collection at the Greenhouses in Laeken is valuable from three viewpoints. First of all, some of the plants belonging to Leopold II's original collections still exist. Furthermore, the current collections still respect the spirit that prevailed when the original collections were planted. Finally, the Royal Greenhouses still contain an enormous number of rare and valuable plants."http://www.monarchie.be/palace-and-heritage/greenhouses-laeken